I just finished it and I don't think I can even adequately describe how much I loved it, but I feel compelled to try.
1. The story/setting- The game doesn't waste time with a lengthy cut scene, it pretty much puts you right in the action. It also hints at, but never explains, how the world came to be as it is. It may irritate some to not have the full back story, but for me it gave the game world a sense of mystery. The characters don't seem to fully know all the details of the war, they're just figuring out how to survive in the world they live in. Explaining everything would destroy that aspect of the game. I love the use of color in a post apocalyptic game and the decision to change locations several times. It would have been easy to keep the entire game in NYC because the initial novelty of roaming a city in ruins is a cool setting. But eventually wears off and the game switches settings at just the right time.
2. The characters- The characters themselves are pretty well developed and I liked they kept the cast small. The fact they never met a group of survivors gave the game an eerie feeling of loneliness. Trip and Monkey's relationship was interesting and it evolved over the coarse of the game. I can't tell you how relieved I was it never led to a romance, I was bracing for it the entire time. Pigsy was appropriately inappropriate and strange for somebody who lived alone in a post apocalyptic world.
3. Lack of a super villain- This is probably my favorite aspect of the game. I am so sick and tired of video games having one dimensional evil characters at the antagonists. This game completely avoids that cliche and its so incredibly refreshing. I would love to see more developers take this route when writing stories. This leads me to my find point.
4. The Ending- The ending is brilliant. Trip gets her revenge, which is very important because it completes the basic story arc for Trip and Monkey which allows the game to throw a twist at you without feeling cheap. The reveal that the slaves are being given a better life in a fantasy world gives the ending an interesting moral ambiguity. I love that Monkey doesn't (audibly) answer Trip when she asks if she did the right thing. I would love for a sequel to be set a few years after with different characters so you can see the consequences of setting all the slaves free.
That's all I can think of for now, thoughts?
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